Uncle of accused West Pottsgrove murder conspirator pleads not guilty to perjury charges

NORRISTOWN — The uncle of a man accused of taking part in a deadly West Pottsgrove home invasion robbery has pleaded not guilty to charges he allegedly gave false testimony on behalf of his nephew at a pretrial hearing.

Seth M. Holden, 53, of Philadelphia, waived his arraignment in Montgomery County Court and pleaded not guilty to charges of perjury and false swearing in connection with alleged testimony he gave during a Jan. 10 pretrial hearing at which his nephew, accused killer Omar “O” Miller, was seeking to prevent prosecutors from moving forward with certain evidence at his upcoming trial.

By waiving his arraignment, Holden does not have to appear before a judge for a formal reading of the charges lodged against him. Holden, who is represented by Pottstown defense lawyer Douglas B. Breidenbach Jr., will now be scheduled for trial on the charges. Holden remains free on own-recognizance bail pending trial.

Miller, Holden’s nephew, faces trial next month on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the 2 p.m. May 5, 2013, home invasion robbery in West Pottsgrove that ended in the gunshot slaying of 19-year-old Kareem Ali Borowy on a Lower Pottsgrove roadway.

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During the pretrial hearing before county Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy, Holden testified that he witnessed authorities “beating on” Miller and “tasing him” when Miller was apprehended just outside Holden’s home in Philadelphia on June 3, 2013.

However, when Holden was interviewed by county detectives on Jan. 16 regarding his observations during Miller’s arrest, Holden allegedly told detectives he heard a scream outside his home and “I assumed he was being tased but I did not see him being tased,” according to arrest documents filed by county Detective James Carbo.

When detectives asked Holden, on Jan. 16, if he witnessed anyone striking or beating Miller, Holden allegedly replied, “No, I only heard a boom.” When asked if he saw Miller struck by an electroshock device, Holden allegedly replied, “No, I only heard boom and saw Omar being cuffed up.”

With the charges against Holden, prosecutors alleged Holden’s Jan. 16 statement to detectives contradicted his sworn testimony before a judge on Jan. 10. If convicted of the perjury and false swearing charges, Holden faces a possible maximum sentence of 4½ to nine years in prison.

During the Jan. 10 pretrial hearing, Miller, who also is represented by Breidenbach, implied an alleged incriminating statement Miller gave to detectives about his involvement in the murder wasn’t voluntary because he was suffering the effects of being struck by an electroshock device by authorities during his Philadelphia apprehension. Breidenbach relied partly on Holden’s testimony to support that claim.

Miller, 27, of Larchwood Street, Philadelphia, and two of his alleged co-conspirators in the deadly home invasion, Charles “Cheese” Freeman, 32, of the 400 block of Circle Drive, West Pottsgrove, and Andre “Dre” Collier, 25, of the 5500 block of Larchwood Avenue, Philadelphia, face trial together on charges of first-, second-, and third-degree murder and conspiracy in connection with the deadly home invasion.

A fourth man, Rasheed Teel, 21, of the 7000 block of Wheeler Street, Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery in connection with his role in the crime and is awaiting sentencing.

Investigators previously said Borowy, of the 1200 block of Manatawny Street, was the target of a robbery and that his alleged abductors believed that he would have drugs and money. Authorities alleged the four men hatched a plot, “a mission,” to go to West Pottsgrove to rob Borowy. Borowy allegedly was gunned down by Collier as he escaped from his captors.

About the Author

Carl Hessler Jr. writes about crime and justice at the Montgomery County Courthouse for The Mercury and 21st Century Media Newspaper’s Greater Philadelphia area publications. A native of Reading, he studied at Penn State University and Kutztown University before graduating from Alvernia University with a degree in communications. He is a recipient of a National Headliner Award and has been honored for his writing by the Keystone Press Association, Philadelphia Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Press Managing Editors of Pennsylvania. Reach the author at chessler@pottsmerc.com
or follow Carl on Twitter: @MontcoCourtNews.